WATCH: Pritzker defends Illinois population trends despite Census data | Illinois

(The Center Square) – Illinois’ migration patterns were the subject of several lines of questioning for Gov. J.B. Pritzker during a U.S. House hearing on migrant sanctuary states.

When confronted with the state’s negative population trends at Thursday’s hearing, Pritzker pushed back against U.S. Rep. John McGuire, R-Virginia.

“Your numbers are wrong, sir,” Pritzker said after McGuire said the state has lost population and a seat in Congress. “Your numbers are wrong, sir.”

“Do you support prohibiting illegal aliens from being counted in the census?,” McGuire asked. “Would you? Those harboring illegal aliens. Is it part of the strategy to get more Democrats in Congress?”

Pritzker said Illinois is growing. Illinois state Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, was in the audience during the hearing.

“The governor is a population denier,” Halbrook told The Center Square. “We’ve lost a congressional seat. Probably going to lose another 1 or 2 by the time the next Census rolls around.”

Illinois U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, confronted Pritzker about the state’s population trends during the hearing.

“People continue to flee Illinois,” LaHood said. “We have the fifth highest unemployment rate in the country, the second highest property tax rate in the country, the fifth highest illegal immigration population in the country, with over 500,000 illegal immigrants living in Illinois.”

Pritzker worked to refute LaHood about the trends, but was cut off.

“Half of that is completely false and needs to be corrected,” Pritzker said. “And I will if given the moment to speak … Our population is increasing. We have a higher population as a result of this Census that was done in 2020.”

Illinois lost population for an entire decade before last year’s estimates showed more international migrants coming in than domestic migration moving out.